Champion jockey Dettori remorseful after accepting drug ban

Frankie Dettori will be able to return to racing next May if he passes further drug tests.

Story highlights

French racing authority bans Frankie Dettori for six months over positive drug test

Jockey accepts the decision and vows to rebuild his reputation when he returns

Father of five regrets having let down his family and fans, Dettori's lawyer says

He will have to undergo further testing before he can start racing again in May

Champion jockey Frankie Dettori has vowed to "rebuild his reputation" after accepting a six-month suspension, having been found guilty of using a banned substance.

Dettori, who will be 42 this month, tested positive in France on September 16 for a drug that has widely reported by British media to have been cocaine. He was cautioned by police for possession of the drug in 1993.

France Galop, the country's horse racing ruling body, announced on Wednesday that the Italian will be banned from November 20 to May 19, though it did not reveal the substance in question. It has asked other horse racing authorities around the world to enforce its decision.

"For similar cases, France Galop has never revealed the substances found and will therefore not reveal the substance for this specific case," spokesman Julien Pescatore said.

Dettori's legal representative Christopher Stewart-Moore said the jockey had accepted the punishment.

"He also accepts that he has let down the sport he loves and all those associated with it, as well as the wider public," Stewart-Moore said in a statement.

A weight issue: Jockey diets 8 photos

A weight issue: Jockey diets8 photos

Small scale – Jockeys line up for weighing ahead of the Melbourne Cup.

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A weight issue: Jockey diets8 photos

Weighing in – Sweat suits, saunas, hot baths and starvation are still in use in the racing industry. Though there is a growing movement to change it.

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A weight issue: Jockey diets8 photos

Daily dieting – The minimum riding weight in the U.S. is 53kg.

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A weight issue: Jockey diets8 photos

A dangerous gamble? – A hungry, dizzy rider on a 450kg horse galloping at 64km, poses a danger to everyone on the track, PJA medical adviser, Anna-Louise MacKinnon, said.

Food for thought – Australian jockey Scobie Breasley's weight is measured in sultanas in 1959. Riders must follow strict low-calorie diets to keep their weight down.

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A jockey's journey – British jockey Steve Donoghue is weighed before a race in 1930.

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A weight issue: Jockey diets8 photos

The ultimate price? – At 178cm, British jockey Fred Archer was one of the tallest on the field in the 19th Century, and struggled to keep his weight down. The strain was partly blamed for his suicide in 1886, aged 29.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – A race-goer attends day five of the Royal Ascot races in Ascot, England, on Saturday, June 23.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, arrive at the course on day four of the races.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – A sign and flags hang in the air.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Attendees escape the rain under their umbrellas on day four.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – An attendee examines a booklet with descriptions of the racers.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Riders race during the Diamond Jubilee Stakes on day five of Royal Ascot races Saturday.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Two onlookers congratulate each other with a high-five.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – A large hat resembling the British flag sits atop a woman's head.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Racehorse Black Caviar neighs after carrying his rider across the finish line for the win on Saturday.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Racegoers sit at a table and study the form on Friday.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and other members of the royal familly arrive in the Parade Ring at the Royal Ascot on Ladies Day on Thursday, June 21. Ladies Day is traditionally the fashion highlight of the five-day race meeting.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Rain falls on the race-goers attending the Royal Ascot.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – A couple stand in a puddle at Royal Ascot.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Frankie Dettori celebrates riding Colour Vision to win The Gold Cup during Ladies Day at Royal Ascot.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – A woman shows off her unusual hat.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Race-goers wear plastic rain covers over their dresses during some showers.

Royal Ascot 2012 – Pat Smullen riding Princess Highway wins The Ribblesdale Stakes during Ladies Day at Royal Ascot at Ascot racecourse.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – A worker attempts to dry tables and chairs at a Champagne bar on Ladies Day at Royal Ascot.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – A bench is decorated with a Union Jack flag in the Grandstand on Ladies Day at Royal Ascot.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Top hats are worn by race-goers at the Royal Ascot in England on Wednesday, June 20. The five-day meeting is one of the highlights of the horse racing calendar and the season. Thousands of race fans are expected to attend.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Runners take the bend away from the grandstand at Ascot racecourse.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – A visitor to Royal Ascot holds a race guide and a glass of Champagne.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Race-goers from The Royal Enclosure watch the arrival of the royal family.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Two women chit-chat on day one of the races.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Lisa Scott Lee attends day two of Royal Ascot.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Photographers in top hats snap photos of Royal Ascot attendees.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Queen Elizabeth II smiles as she arrives.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – A dress code assistant holds a basket of pashminas at the main entrance to Royal Ascot. Visitors are expected to keep to a strict dress code.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Visitors to Royal Ascot enjoy a picnic before the start of racing.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – A race-goer wearing a flamboyant hat poses for the media.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – Race-goers sit together on a bench.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – A woman in a striking hat attends day one of the races.

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Royal Ascot 2012 – A woman wearing an elaborate hat designed to look like a bird cage attends day one of the races.

"Racing has been good to Frankie and he knows that his privileged position brings with it responsibility," Stewart-Moore said.

"For this reason he is determined to rebuild his reputation when he returns to the saddle."

France Galop said Dettori will have to undergo further drug testing from April 20 before he is allowed to return to racing.

Stewart-Moore said the three-time British champion, who has admitted taking weight-loss drugs in the past, is taking full responsibility for the failed test.

"He is clear that the responsibility for his current situation lies squarely with him," Stewart-Moore said

"From the start of France Galop's inquiry he has acknowledged to them he has made a mistake and that the fault was his.

Betting on a winner: What's in a name? 7 photos

Betting on a winner: What's in a name?7 photos

Fabulous Frankel – "Frankel was a cracking name -- it jumped out of the microphone," says racing commentator Cornelius Lysaught. The superstar colt, who recently retired after an unblemished 14-win career, scooped the main prize at the 2012 UK Horse of the Year awards.

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The people's horse – A young racegoer shows her support for Australian horse Black Caviar. The owners chose the name because they thought it appeared sophisticated and stylish.

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Betting on a winner: What's in a name?7 photos

Forever Phar Lap – Phar Lap is immortalized in the Melbourne Museum. The New Zealand-born champion gelding's name has also been included in the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities' protected list.

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Betting on a winner: What's in a name?7 photos

Myth of Camelot – Camelot's owners reserved the name in the hope of finding a horse that would live up the mythical Arthurian city. The British colt came close, but failed to secure the Triple Crown this year.

In Vogue – Champion thoroughbred Black Caviar appears on the December issue of Vogue Australia. It is the first time in the 53-year history of the magazine that a horse has featured on the front cover.

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Vogue's most controversial cover model?10 photos

Black beauty – The $7 million horse was photographed by Australian Benny Horne in a secret location in the Dandenong Ranges, just outside of Melbourne.

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Vogue's most controversial cover model?10 photos

A magnificent mare – "Her coat is this extraordinary pitch black, almost like velvet, with this handsomely structured face and that awesome rump that propels her so fast," Vogue Australia editor Edwina McCann said.

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Vogue's most controversial cover model?10 photos

World's greatest horse? – Since demolishing the field in her first win in the 2009 Danehill Stakes, an air of mystique has followed the sprinter, who now boasts more than 22,000 Twitter followers.

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Vogue's most controversial cover model?10 photos

Royal reception – Black Caviar secured her record 22 consecutive win at Royal Ascot in July. Despite a leg injury she took the prestigious Diamond Jubilee Stakes in a nailbiting finish against France's Moonlight Cloud.

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Vogue's most controversial cover model?10 photos

Aussie invasion – Australians have taken the mare to their hearts, with diehard fans even traveling to Britain's Royal Ascot to watch her compete.

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Vogue's most controversial cover model?10 photos

Brand caviar – Black Caviar's owners have created a distinctive brand around the champion thoroughbred. Everything from her name to the color of her silks has been carefully aligned with "sophistication and style."

Pregnant pause – The magazine has tended to stay away from controversial models. One of its more unusual front covers was of pregnant Australian model Miranda Kerr, wife of Hollywood actor Orlando Bloom, in January 2011.

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Vogue's most controversial cover model?10 photos

Princess exclusive – The world-renowned fashion magazine featured Princess Mary of Denmark on its cover in December 2004. The Australian met husband Prince Frederik during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

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"Finally, he has asked me to thank everyone for the many messages of support he and his family have received."

The British Professional Jockeys' Association said it would support Dettori's rehabilitation, but denied there was a widespread problem of drug use among its members.

"From 2,607 in-competition urine tests and 3,697 breath tests since 2005, there is no evidence to suggest that there is a fundamental drug problem with jockeys," PJA chief executive Paul Struthers said.

"0.3% of urine tests were positive for drugs and 0.2% of both urine and breath tests were positive for alcohol."

The PJA said from 2005-11 it had recorded four positive tests for cocaine, one for cannabis and two for diuretics (water shedding drugs) -- both of which were for amateur riders. One alcohol positive was above the drink driving limit, and five were below.

Struthers said the PJA was aiming to raise awareness about the issue of jockeys' mental wellbeing.

"As well as all the normal pressures that other sportsmen and women have to contend with, unlike many other sports jockeys have the added pressures of massively reduced calorific intake and are constantly at very real risk of serious injury," he said.

"When it comes to mental wellbeing, racing perhaps lags behind other sports particularly when it comes to raising awareness of the issues and the support that is available, and it is overdue that more was done."